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Gonzalo Bernal

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  • Biography

    Lawyer with a Master in International Trade and Economics at the World Trade Institute, Switzerland, being a specialist in international trade and customs. Gonzalo has a broad experience in advisory, preventive audits and litigation related with sophisticated trade operations, trade facilitation and investment.

    His professional expertise includes legal advisory provided to either domestic or international enterprises, specifically related with Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Regional and Plurilateral Agreements (Andean Community, Pacific Alliance, among others) compliance and WTO law, customs valuation, tariff classification, rules of origin, trade and regulatory barriers (sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade), investment, infrastructure, supply chain management, transport, and trade remedies (dumping, subsidies).

    He has a strong expertise with the industrial and manufacturing sector, especially with the food industry and agribusiness.

    He has also been involved as an international consultant working at USAID linked with trade facilitation programmes and export competitiveness. Moreover, Gonzalo was an academic assistant of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in a Peruvian project, is professor for the Post-Graduate School of International Economic Law of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP) and lecturer of several workshops.

  • Publications

    Author and co-author of a number of articles related with trade and customs published in journals, legal reviews, and books:

    • "Sugar is the New Tobacco": The Peruvian Junk Food Law in Light of the WTO Law after the Seals Dispute". Society of International Economic Law 2014 Conference. Bern, Switzerland.
    • "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-label and its private standards examined under the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT): A methodology to apply a legal assessment in private labeling.". In: Master Thesis.
    • "Collaborative Border Management: Un acercamiento al principio de cooperacion aduanera a proposito del Acuerdo de Cooperacion y Asistencia aduanera Peru-China". (Collaborative Border Management: an approach to the customs cooperation principle regarding the Peru-China Customs Cooperation and Assistance Agreement). In: Derecho y Sociedad N° 35. Journal of the School of Law of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP).
    • "Regulation on Border Measures in the Peruvian Law: a customs instrument to protect intellectual property". In: Ius Et Veritas. Journal of the School of Law of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP).

    • Industries

    • Consumer Goods & Retail
    • Industrials, Manufacturing & Transportation

    Education

    • World Trade Institute (WTI), University of Bern, Switzerland - Master in International Trade and Economics (2011-2012). Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) scholarship winner. Master thesis graded with A.
    • Institute of International Economic Law, Academy of WTO Law and Policy - Georgetown University Law Center (2014).
    • Summer Academy on Global Food Law & Policy, Cadenabbia, Italy (July 2012) - Diploma Course on Food Law & Policy, WTO law and EU regulation of food.
    • Postgraduate School of the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (2008) - Diploma Course on Concessions and Infrastructure Law.
    • Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, PUCP (2007) - Law Degree.

    Admission

    • Lima Bar Association, 2008.

    Membership

    • Member of the Asociacion Peruana de Derecho Aduanero y Comercio Internacional – APDACI (Peruvian Association of Customs Law and International Trade).
    • Member consultant of the XCOM Committee – Foreign Trade and Logistics Committee of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL).

  • Additional Information

    Experience

    • Principal Associate at Estudio Echecopar since 2014.
    • Senior Associate at Estudio Echecopar (November 2012- July 2014).
    • International consultant for the Centre for Trade Policy and Law - University of Carleton - Ottawa, Canada in the project "Promoting Colombian and Peruvian Professional Services Trade with Canada through Mutual Recognition Agreements - MRA" (2014).
    • Associate lawyer in charge of the Trade Facilitation and Customs Area at Estudio Navarro, Ferrero & Pazos Abogados (April 2008 – August 2011).
    • International consultant at USAID and Facilitando Comercio (Nathan Associates Inc.) in the specific project called Peru and Andean Trade Capacity Building Program - PATCB (2010 and 2011). Legal analysis to improve the fulfilment of obligations of the USA-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement and domestic regulations, especially the expeditious clearance of goods.
    • Assistant Lawyer at Ernst & Young Peru in the Trade and Customs area -Tax (December 2005 - January 2008).
    • Professional Internship at the Comision para la Promocion de Exportaciones (PROMPEX-PERU) (April 2005 – November 2005).

    Teaching experience

    • Professor of the courses entitled "International Economic Law Foundations" and "Trade Facilitation" for the Post-Graduate School of International Economic Law of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP). (March 2013 - to present).
    • Professor of the course " Export, Import and Customs" at the faculty of international business at University of Lima (June 2018 - to present)
    • Professor of the course entitled "International Trade Law" in the School of Law of the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) in Peru (July 2009 - July 2011).